Published: Nov 1, 2010 22:48 Updated: Nov 1, 2010 22:48
JEDDAH: Saudis have been left shocked after the General Presidency of Scholarly Research and Ifta issued a fatwa on Sunday banning women cashiers from working in the Kingdom’s supermarkets.
“It is not permitted for a Muslim woman to work in a mixed environment with men who are not related to them, and women should look for jobs that do not lead to them interacting with men which might cause attraction from both sides,”the fatwa stated.
The Kingdom’s top government-sanctioned board of senior Islamic scholars has endorsed the fatwa, which also calls for a ban on women cashiers because it violates the Kingdom’s rules on the segregation of sexes. The decision comes after a conservative preacher called for a boycott of supermarkets, which employ women cashiers.
Members of the public have reacted with dismay to the fatwa saying it does not make sense and is unfair to women who need to work.
“The people who issued this fatwa clearly did not see the location and condition of these cashiers,” said Abdulrahman Fakhri, a 32-year-old businessman. “Those women need the money or they wouldn’t be working like this,” he added.
she added.
“I wonder whether they’ve issued this fatwa because they’re afraid of women or scared of them,” said Malak Al-Harby. “Religious people act as if Saudi women are weak and cannot resist flirting with men,”
Women will still mix with men whether it’s behind the cashier or in front of it, said Haneen Kelani, a stay-at-home mother. “I always go grocery shopping in supermarkets that hire men as cashiers and I usually shop alone. Is that considered mixing? What’s the harm in me and the male cashier switching places?” she asked.
These women cashiers are working in conditions that do not break Islamic rules, said Nayef Abdulaziz. “I once went to the supermarket to see these women work and found a glass divider separating them from men. I also found them covered and not socializing with costumers,” he said.
“I tried to go to a female cashier instead of a male cashier but was stopped, which means the employers are in control of this and are not allowing men to mix with them,” he added.
No one from Azizia Panda and Marhaba supermarkets which employ women cashiers was available for comment.
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